The Japan Sumo Association attempted to force stablemaster Takanohana to admit that the accusations he filed to the Cabinet Office in March were false.

Instead, the former yokozuna who won 22 Emperor’s Cups in his illustrious career opted to retire from professional sumo.

Takanohana submitted his retirement to the JSA on Tuesday. Later on the same day, at a news conference held in Tokyo, he explained the reason for his decision, Takanohana said he had been pressured by the JSA, which prompted him to retire.

“I believe my accusation was true and can’t say it wasn’t,” Takanohana said. “But to let my pupils continue sumo, I decided to retire from the JSA this morning. The wrestlers and staff that belong to my stable will move to Chiganoura Stable.”

Takanohana, the 65th yokozuna in sumo history, has had a rocky relationship with the JSA since last December, when it was discovered that former yokozuna Harumafuji allegedly hit and injured Takanoiwa, a wrestler from Takanohana’s stable, during last fall’s jungyo (provincial tours that take place between the tournaments).

Takanohana did not report the incident immediately to the JSA after being informed of it and the organization eventually dismissed him as a board director in March.

Then Takanohana filed a letter of accusation to the Cabinet Office, saying the JSA failed to investigate the incident properly. The letter was withdrawn a few weeks later when another pupil, Takayoshitoshi, caused a violent incident during the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

The JSA, according to Takanohana, handed a letter to him that said it had decided the accusation was untrue due to its investigation on Aug. 7.

During the Autumn Basho last week, an executive member of the JSA, who Takanohana refused to name, told Takanohana if he wants to belong to a clan and continue to stay in the JSA, he had to admit the accusation was not true.

Takanohana had quit as the chief of his Takanohana Clan (a group of multiple stables) in June that led to the extinction of the traditional clan. He has not belonged to any clans since, but the JSA established a rule in July that all stablemasters had to belong to one of the five existing clans (Dewanoumi, Nishonoseki, Tokitsukaze, Isegahama and Takasago) by Sept. 27.

“If I continue to refuse to admit, I cannot belong to any clans. That means my pupils cannot practice anywhere,” Takanohana said. “That is not what I want. I, as a stablemaster, want to see my wrestlers grow up and be good fighters. To make it happen, I have to call it quits.”

Officially, Takanohana keeps his status until the JSA receives and recognizes his retirement, but Takanohana denied he will stay in the JSA.

“I quit the JSA, but I will continue to get involved with sumo,” the 46-year-old who became a pupil of his father and former ozeki Takanohana when he was 15 years old. “I have a dohyo ring in my house. I will continue to do sumo activity using that dohyo.”

Sumo stablemaster and former yokozuna Takanohana announced that he has submitted his resignation to the Japan Sumo Association.

Takanohana said he decided to resign after the sport's governing body deemed his accusations of improper behavior over their handling of a scandal involving one of Takanohana's wrestlers and former yokozuna Harumafuji as "groundless."

"I cannot accept it as groundless. I cannot bend the truth," Takanohana said at a press conference later Tuesday.

Takanohana said he has asked his wrestlers to change their affiliation to the Chiganoura stable. His replacement is undecided.

The 46-year-old former grand champion, who won 22 tournaments in the top makuuchi division and helped sumo gain popularity during a career spent alongside elder brother Wakanohana, had endured a difficult period in recent months due to longstanding friction with the JSA.

He was dismissed earlier this year as a director on the JSA board over his failure to promptly report to sumo's governing body that Takanoiwa, a wrestler from his stable, had been beaten and injured by yokozuna Harumafuji, a scandal that led to the retirement of the grand champion.

Takanohana attempted to regain his spot on the board of directors by running in an election in February but failed after receiving just two votes among 101 sumo elders.

In March, he submitted a letter to the Cabinet Office's public certification committee that accused the JSA of improper behavior over its handling of the Takanoiwa assault scandal. The accusation, however, was ultimately regarded as groundless.

That same month, Takanohana was demoted two ranks within the JSA's hierarchy to the lowest of seven ranks due to his absence without permission from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament and lack of supervision of a young wrestler from his stable who assaulted a junior wrestler.

Last month, he was hospitalized for a day after having a fit while coaching wrestlers during a regional sumo tour.

Takanohana and Wakanohana, who belonged to the Futagoyama stable, were active in the 1990s through the early 2000s. Takanohana, whose real name is Koji Hanada, retired in 2003 at the age of 30.

His 22 tournament victories rank him sixth on the all-time list.

This year, a string of recent scandals has tarnished the reputation of Japan's ancient sport in addition to those associated with Takanohana.

In January, sumo's chief referee resigned for sexually harassing a teenage referee, and in March, Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi was asked to retire as punishment for being involved in a car accident while driving without a license.

Deep-seated problems have troubled the sport throughout the last decade, including a teenage trainee being beaten to death in 2007, and Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu announcing his retirement three years later following reports he injured a man in a drunken rampage.

The sport's governing body has been criticized for failing to address problems outside the ring, though JSA chairman Hakkaku has pledged that eliminating violence is its top priority.

The Japan Sumo Association held an extraordinary board meeting on Monday and officially recognized stablemaster Takanohana’s resignation, along with the termination of his stable and the transfer of his wrestlers to the Chiganoura stable.

Takanohana had submitted his resignation to the JSA last Tuesday, but the sport’s governing body did not immediately accept it, citing Takanohana’s failure to submit the proper documentation.

The 46-year-old former yokozuna said he had been pressured to step down after refusing to agree with the JSA’s conclusion that his complaint over their handling of an assault involving one of his wrestlers and former yokozuna Harumafuji was “groundless.”

Takanohana, who won 22 tournaments in the top makuuchi division and helped sumo gain popularity alongside his elder brother Wakanohana, had endured a difficult period in recent months due to long-standing friction with the JSA.

He was dismissed earlier this year as a director on the JSA board over his failure to promptly report to sumo’s governing body that Takanoiwa, a wrestler from his stable, had been beaten and injured by Harumafuji — a scandal that led to the Mongolian yokozuna’s retirement.

In March, Takanohana submitted a letter to the Cabinet Office’s public certification committee that accused the JSA of improper behavior over its handling of the Takanoiwa assault scandal. The accusation, however, was ultimately regarded as groundless.

That same month, Takanohana was demoted two ranks within the JSA’s hierarchy to the lowest of the seven ranks due to his absence without permission from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament and failure to supervise a young wrestler from his stable who assaulted a junior wrestler.

Takanohana withdrew his complaint after the incident, but maintained his stance that it was not baseless.

As an independent stablemaster, Takanohana said he had also been pressured to agree with the JSA’s conclusion after the JSA decided to limit stable ownership to sumo elders belonging to one of the five major stable groups.

Takanohana competed against Akebono, Musashimaru and Wakanohana III. Although he won 22 yusho I always thought he was overrated and his recent displays of petulance with the JSA have not done his legacy any good at all.

Takanohana was around 160kg at one point, but has lost a huge amount of that now.